Not All my Associates Write about Oz , either

One of my favorite authors to work with was the late Arsinoe de Blassenville. I counted her as a personal friend.

Three of her Harry Potter fanfics are to be found over in the Potterfic collection. But she did not write only Potterfic. Her author page on ff.net includes several works based upon the film “The Patriot”, as well as this work, which is based upon Bioware’s popular game, Dragon Age.

I gather that the game has gone through several editions with a growing in-world history, additional adventures, and an expanding cast of characters.

I would not know about that, since I do not play video games. I have a CreativeCloud supscription. Building books is much more fun than playing games.

Arsinoe, however was introduced to Dragon Age by her daughter, played it, and found herself engaged in fix-it fic. As so often happens, the story grew in the telling and matured into a five volume fantasy series.

Despite my complete lack of familiarity with the source material, I found her version of the adventure to be highly engaging and asked for permission to base a publcations project on the story.

In keeping with something as heavily dependent upon its visuals as a game, once the production was well under way, I made a point of contacting Bioware and getting their permission to use concept art from the game in the project. If you recognize it, it is there by permission.

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Volume 1: The Girl Warden

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When Bryce Cousland’s young spitfire of a daughter scaled the Tower of Ishal and lit the beacon giving the signal to charge, the Battle of Bloomingtide resulted in a great victory over the darkspawn. For a while.

Bronwyn Cousland, recently and horribly orphaned, and a Grey Warden of one day’s standing, finds herself one of the two last remaining Grey Wardens in Ferelden. Her chief advantage is that before the battle she had managed to retrieve the ancient Grey Warden treaties, calling upon the ancient obligations of support from the Dalish Elves, the Dwarves of Orzammar, and of the Mages of the Circles of Thedas.

Follow the adventure from this point of divergance through uncharted territory.

After all, game dynamics are primrily designed to control the gamer. Novelists only need to control the story.

Volume 2: Warden Commander

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The adventure continues. Bronwyn Cousland, now Commander of the Grey in Ferelden, has many challenges. She continues her struggle to implement the ancient treaties against the darkspawn in a time of Blight, she also needs to learn how to deal with the responsibilities of command over a growing force of Wardens, and to develop a working relationship with Loghain MacTir, the General of the allied armies at Ostagar.

In the course of these duties, she uncovers a deadly Orlessian plot against the Queen of Ferelden, which is connected to the murder of her own family, and threatens, by extention, the security of the whole kingdom.

And the King is not a part of the solution.

Volume 3: Dragon Slayer

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The King is dead, long live…

King Cailan’s will names no successor, and there is no direct heir. The nearest claimants are the Couslands, who, apart from Bronwyn and her brother Fergus were massacred by Rendon Howe some months earlier, leaving the north in disarray.

The plot against the Queen was discovered too late. The Queen has been poisoned by an Orlesian agent, and magical healing can do no more than slow a losing battle.

Before agreeing to consider further possibilities, Bronwyn chooses to investigate a rumor of the existence of the funereal shrine of the Prophet Andraste, and of the Prophet’s ashes which might heal the Queen.

Volume 4: Andraste’s Champion

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Queen Anora’s life has been saved, but she will soon no longer be Queen. By Cailan’s will she will rule for only three months until a new ruler is chosen by the Landsmeet.

In a time of war, fortune favors a victorious General, and this is unquestionably a time of war. Several of the high nobility favor Loghain MacTir, who has ruled the kingdom in all but name for most of the last 30 years. But MacTir has no noble blood.

Bronwyn Cousland is descended from the line of Callanhad, and her brother’s concerns are more toward restoring order to the north. A marriage alliance is proposed, to strengthen Loghain’s position.

And of course the Orlesians have something to say about that.

Volume 5: The Red Queen

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Orlais has all but openly declared war on Ferelden. Indeed, a formal declaration of war is known to be impending. Confident that the Ferelden army is pinned down in the south at Ostagar, fighting darkspawn, the Orlesians will invade with the spring.

But the darkspawn have seemingly withdrawn from Ostagar, and despite the troubling visions of the Fade shared by all the Wardens of Thedas, no one knows to where they have withdrawn or can guess where they will rise to attack next.

While King Loghain and the allied army march north to meet the Orlesian threat. Queen Bronwyn awaits in the north with plans of her own.

And deep below the surface, the Archdemon Uthermiel awaits, unseen, for the first thaw.